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1962 Supreme(Guj) 93

Gujarat High Court
Judgename :V.B.RAJU
DEVNARAYAN RAMSUMAR TEWARI - Appellant
Versus
State of Bombay - Respondent
C.A.112 of 1960
Decided On : 09/12/1962

Advocates Appeared: B.R.SOMPURA, V.J.DESAI

Headnote:

Civil Procedure Code , 1908 - Order 5 , 7 ,10 and 14 – Rule – 1 , 9 ,10 and 11 - Plaint was rejected by the trial Court after issues had been framed by it - So the order is clearly wrong - Under Order 14 Rule 1 C. P. Code issues are framed at the first hearing of the suit - Other words after the suit has been admitted - Appellant however relies on and contends that a plaint can be rejected at any stage of a suit - Learned Judges of the Allahabad High Court were dealing with the case where a plaint in a pre-emption suit had after the issues had been framed been rejected on the ground that in the plaint the plaintiff had not shown any cause of action - A second suit for pre-emption was filed and the first Court dismissed the suit on the single ground that it was barred under sec. 13 Civil Procedure Code because of what had taken place in the previous pre-emption suit between the parties - Judges of the High Court were dealing with the sections as they stood of the old Code dealt with the case of rejection of a plaint at or before the first hearing on the grounds mentioned in that section – Held, Plaint cannot be rejected after the issues are framed as has been done in this case - It is also clear from Order 9 C. P. Code that after summons are served on the defendant the suit can only be dismissed but the plaint cannot be rejected - Lower appellate Court was therefore right in setting aside the order of rejection of the plaint - Appellate Court has given a finding that there was a cause of action - Whether there was or not a cause of action and whether the suit is to be dismissed on the ground that there was no cause of action are left open to be decided by the trial Court - Appeal is therefore dismissed but there will be no order as to costs - Appeal dismissed.

V. B. RAJU, J.

( 1 ) A plaint was rejected by the trial Court and in appeal that order was reversed by the appellate Court which directed the trial Court to proceed with the suit. It is against this order that this appeal has been filed.

( 2 ) THE plaint was rejected by the trial Court after issues had been framed by it. So the order is clearly wrong. Under Order 14 Rule 1 C. P. Code issues are framed at the first hearing of the suit; in other words after the suit has been admitted under Order 7 Rule 9 C. P. Code. When a suit has been admitted under Order 7 Rule 9 C. P. Code it cannot be rejected under Order 7 Rule 11 C. P. Code. On this ground alone the appellate Court was right in setting aside the order of the rejection of the plaint.

( 3 ) THE learned counsel for the appellant however relies on Kishore Singh v. Sabdal Singh I. L. R. 12 Allahabad 553 and contends that a plaint can be rejected at any stage of a suit. The learned Judges of the Allahabad High Court were dealing with the case where a plaint in a pre-emption suit had after the issues had been framed been rejected on the ground that in the plaint the plaintiff had not shown any cause of action. A second suit for pre-emption was filed and the first Court dismissed the suit on the single ground that it was barred under sec. 13 Civil Procedure Code because of what had taken place in the previous pre-emption suit between the parties. In appeal it was held that there was no bar and the case was remanded and there was an appeal to the High Court from that order. The High Court held that the order of remand was properly made. The learned Judges of the Allahabad High Court were dealing with the sections as they stood in the old Civil Procedure Code. Sec. 53 of the old Code dealt with the case of rejection of a plaint at or before the first hearing on the grounds mentioned in that section. Section 54 of the old Act dealt with rejection of the plaint on the grounds mentioned in that section. But it contained no limitation as to the stage at which the order could be passed. On this ground it was held that there was no limitation as to time under sec. 54 which generally corresponds but not exactly to Order 7 Rule 11 of the present Civil Pro. Code. A decision based on the peculiar wording of secs. 53 and 54 of the old Code cannot be applied as such to the present Civil Procedure Code where the wording is different. Order 7 Rule 10 C. P. Code reads as under : (1) The plaint shall at any stage of the suit be returned to be presented to the Court in which the suit should have been instituted. (2) On returning a plaint the Judge shall endorse thereon the date of its presentation and return the name of the party presenting it and a brief statement of the reasons for returning it.

( 4 ) THE words used are at any stage of the suit. But these words are not used in Order 7 Rule 11 C. P. Code. Where the legislature intended that a particular rule could be applied at any stage of the suit it specifically used the words at any stage of the suit as can be seen from Order 7 Rule 10. But these words are not used in Order 7 Rule 11 C. P. Code. Apart from that there are several other grounds also for holding that a plaint cannot be rejected after the first hearing of the suit. Order 5 Rule 1 C P. Code reads as follows:

( 5 ) WHEN a suit has been duly instituted a summons may be issued to the defendant to appear and answer the claim on a day to be therein specified.

( 6 ) ORDER 5 Rule 5 C. P Code reads as follows:the Court shall determine at the time of issuing the summons; whether it shall be for the settlement of issues only or for the final disposal of the suit; and the summons shall contain a direction accordingly.

( 7 ) SUB rule (5) of Rule I of Order 14 C. P. Code reads as follows:at the first hearing of the suit the Court shall after reading the plaint and the written statements if any and after such examination of the parties as may appear necessary ascertain upon what material propositi





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